eatheetof



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H. EATEERTON.

TILE DITGHBR.

No. 279,141. tented-June 12,1883.

iil

v WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H.H.EATHERT0N.

TILE DITGHBR.

No. 279,141. Patented June 12,1883.

TTomweZL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY II. EATHEETON, O'E OISOO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOEJ OE ONE-HALE TO ASAc. THOMPSON, OE' SAME PLACE.

TILE-DITCHER.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,141, dated June12, 1883.

' I i Application filed March Q4, 1883. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. EATIIERTON,

of Cisco, in the county of Piatt and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful 5 Improvements in Tile-Ditchers; and I do here bydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description oftheinvention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and usethe same, reference i o being had to theaccompanying drawings, which i5 the cutter and shoe; and Fig. 4 is asimilar view of the anchor.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention has relation to machines for 2O cutting ditches for layingt-iles, and it consists in the improved construction and combination ofparts ofthe same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A 2 5 represents a rectangularframe mounted upon Wheels, and having uprights B, upon which a similarframe, C, is mounted. In the center of these frames is formed an uprightsquare frame, by uprights D, between the frames, and

3o by cross-pieces E, between the side pieces ofthe frames, in whichslides a rectangular cage, F, in which the cutter and capstan arejournaled This cage may be raised and lowered at will by means of awindlass, G, journaled in bearings 3 5 upon two cross-pieces, H,fastened betweenthe uprights D, upon which windlass two ropes orchai-ns, I, fastened to the top and bottom ofthe cage, are woundvhile itis operated by means of a crank at one end and held fast at any point Ob f means of a stra i J bassine over andbear- 7 a l :n

ing against the fiat rim of a wheel, K, upon the axle of the windlass,acting as a brake. V

rIhe machine is propelled by means ot' a rope or chain, L, fastened tothe front end of the 4. 5 machine, passed over a pulley, M, upon aportable anchor, N, and fastened at its other end to acapstan, O,journaled verticallyin the center of the cage and operated by a sweep,l),

fastened to its upper end, which projects up through the top of thecage, and to which sweep one or more draft-animals are hitched.

An inwardly-beveled cog-wheel, Q, is fastened upon the upper end of theeapstan, above the top ofthe frame and below the sweep, and intermesheswith a beveled pinion, R, fastened upon the upper end ofthe shaft Softhe cutter T, rotating it while winding the rope.

rlhe cutterT consists of two or more spirallyaround the upper portion ofthe shoe, and held in place by two bars or rods, Z, fastened to thelower front edge of the cage, and serves to throw the dirt, as it isscrewed up by the cutter, be-

, tween the latter and the shoe, to both sides of the ditch thus formed.

Upon one of the side pieces of the upper frame, C, is fastened aplumbdeveha, consisting of a loaded pendulum, Z, pointing upon asegmental scale, c, which is divided and numbered in such a manner as toindicate the'rise in a certain distance-as, for instance, the rise` infeet to therod-anda finger, d, projecting from the side piece of theframe C, points upon ascale, c, upon the adjoining upright, f,of thecage, indicating at what depth 'the cutter is working, so that the cage,and with it the cutter, may be raised or lowered by means of thewindlass, according to the indications of the pendulum.

A fiat board or bridge, g, is hinged to the rear of the bridge by meansof chains or hooked rods h., and is dragged along withthemaehine,

serving as a crossing for the draftanimals over the ditch.

The propelling rope or chain Lis, as before mentioned, fastened to thefront end of the ma chine, preferably to the forward-turned hounds 'i ofthe swiveled front truck, and passes over the pulley M upon the anchorN.This anchor -consists of a frame, j, mounted upon rollers or wheels k inthe front part, and having two pointed armshinged to its sides, adaptedto enter the ground obliquely and rearwardly, being prevented fromturning under the frame by two bails, Z, fastened to the frame andpassing around the arms, which thus hold the anchor iirmly upon itsplaee. In returning from the pulley`M the rope passes through an eye orpulley, m, upon the hounds of the front truck and around the eapstau. Itwill thus be seen that as the sweep is rotated by the draft-animals themachine is drawn toward the anehor,whieh previously has been plaeed atthe vend of the line to be ditched, cutting the dit-eh and throw ing thedirt up on both sides of the diteh, and that by the niaehine beingprovided with the swinging pendulum, the gage upon the side of the eage,and means for raising and lowering the Gutter, the depth ofthe diteh maybe regulated aeeording to the rise and l'all ofthe sur! face by a personstanding upon the machine operating the windlass.

Having thus described niy invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent ot' the United States- 1. In a ditching-machine, thecombination oi' the eapstan O, having inwardly-beveled cogwheel Q.,eutter S T, having beveled pinion R, shoe V, and winged eurved plate XY, all jour naled in and fastened to the cage F, having means forraising and lowering it, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a ditching-machine, the Combination of the Cage F, sliding inupright frame D E,wind lass G, having ropes or chains I, capstan O,having inwardly-beveled cog-wheel Q, cutter S T, having beveled pinionR, shoe V, and winged curved plate X Y, as and for the purpose shown andset forth.

3. The combination, in a ditching-machine, ofthe Cage F, formingbearings for the propelling-eapstan and the cutter, and having seale eupon one ot' its uprights,with the frame A B C I) E I-I, havingplumb-level a and in, ger d, and the windlass G, having ehains I,'flat-rimmed wheel K, and brake-strap J, as andfor the purpose shown andset forth.

In testimony that I elainil the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presenee of two witnesses.

. HENRY H. EATHERTON.

\Vitnesses:

VILLIAM T. ATER, DANIEL T. PAUL,

